Page 217 of Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance

“That’s not…” He cleared his throat. “There are things I haven’t told you about my time being held captive.”

“By your father?”

“By one of the Night Child coven leaders.”

There was a small gasp as Kat pushed herself up into a sitting position to see him better. “What are you talking about?”

“No one else knows,” he said, watching his fingers brush up and down her warm skin. “Her name is Bree DelaCrux. She is the oldest of the four coven leaders that rule the Night Children.”

“I thought the Arius Lord ruled the Underground?”

“We do. Or he does, but the Underground has always been its own sort of kingdom. The five districts are ruled by different beings. It has its own balance. A balance I’ve learned to navigate, but when I am no longer an Arius Legacy? My position herewill change. There are plenty of people who will welcome the opportunity to take out the former spare heir,” Axel said.

“That’s not what you are,” Kat said gently.

“It is,” Axel answered plainly. “I made peace with that fact long ago. My father always wanted me here. Theon to rule above and me to rule below.”

“That can’t be true,” she insisted.

He finally turned to look at her. “The Arius Kingdom is called wicked and cruel for a reason, kitten. No one knows that better than the Arius Lord’s own children.”

“But— That can’t—” Her hand rubbed over her stomach. “You’re hisson.”

He knew what she was thinking. How could a father do that to his child? Because he couldn’t imagine doing a single thing to harm that babe in her belly.

“Anyway, Mansel and Julius betrayed my father and have aligned themselves with Bree. They took me from the place my father had me hidden away and brought me to her, where she continued with the same torture. Only her motives were different. My father wanted submission; Bree desires an alliance.”

“An alliance?” Kat repeated in confusion. “She wants to rule the entire Underground?”

“Not exactly. She wants to rule all of Devram, and she offered me a spot at her side,” he answered.

The silence in the room was so loud he finally looked at her again. She was staring back at him, but he knew it wasn’t shock so much as it was her running through logic and reason.

“It’s a calculated move,” she finally said. “But no one would accept a Night Child as a ruler of Devram. The Legacy are far more powerful.”

“She believes they will destroy themselves over Tessa, and she might not be wrong. I was only back a short time, but thepeace out there is strained and fragile. It won’t take much to push everyone over the edge. A war among the kingdoms would be destruction,” he replied.

“Then she would rule a broken realm.”

“In a way, I suppose,” he agreed. “But she has her own agenda. With the focus of the Lords and Ladies elsewhere, she wants to take over the Underground. Then, when Devram is broken, there will be no one to stand against her when she comes in.”

“With the whole of the Underground behind her,” Kat said in understanding.

Axel nodded. “All the mistreated and forgotten of the realm. Everyone banished for whatever reason.”

“And she wants you at her side.”

“Yes,” Axel said. Swallowing thickly, he added, “She…helpedme find you in the end, but she believes I killed you.”

Kat lurched back. “Why would she care?”

“I think…she knew,” he said. “I think she knows about this twin flame bond. I think she knows what we are.”

“How could she possibly know?”

“I don’t think she’s from Devram,” he admitted. “She’s one of the oldest beings in the realm. Honestly? I think she’s been here from the beginning.”

Kat’s brows arched in disbelief. “Since the realm was created?”

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